The Freedom to Be campaign is an ACLU-led initiative that aims to center the voices and experiences of trans people in America. We are constructing a monument on the National Mall made up of individual quilt panels created by trans people and allies who fight alongside us today.

On Tuesday, April 22 from 6pm-8pm, we, in partnership with the New Haven Pride Center and Ben & Jerry's CT, will be hosting a craft event, where we'll be designing 10 of the panels that will be featured on the quilt. We join other affiliates and coalition partners across the country who will be creating panels, to create the large, 258-panel monument that spells out "Freedom to Be" on the mall in Washington, D.C.

The event will be hosted at the New Haven Pride Center & all needed supplies will be provided. Free ice cream will be provided by Ben & Jerry's CT for all attendees.

Ultimately, each quilt should reflect the person or community that made it. That means you are welcome to be as creative as you would like in creating your quilt, using imagery, symbols, pictures, or words to share your feelings about freedom, about being trans, about gender- affirming medical care, or about the trans people you’ve known, loved, or lost. It can be a tribute to a trans icon from history, a friend you’ve lost, or even yourself. It can be a love letter to your body, or a story about your own pursuit of happiness.

Join us to sew, draw, paint, etc, onto the panels in response to the prompts:

• What does the freedom to be yourself mean to you? How would you explain its importance to someone else?
• What do you want the freedom to be?
• What barriers stand between you and freedom? Is it financial? Social? Political? Geographical?
• What images come to mind when you think of the word freedom? Do you think of a bird flying, a person running, a flower growing?
• How might these relate to your transition or your experiences as a trans person?
• This campaign is about giving trans folks their flowers. Is there someone you’d like to “give flowers” to?
• Toni Morrison said, “the function of freedom is to free somebody else.” What do you think she means? What would it look like to use your freedom to support others in your life?